Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-10-21
THE REST GRASSES.
How to Obtain and Retain Permancn
Pastures and Meadows.


THE BEST GRASSES.
How to Obtain and Retain Permanent
Pastures and Meadows.
The basis of stock breeding and the
dairy should be permanent pastures
and meadows. How to obtain these
and retain them is the question. In
some places, on alluvial lands, or other
bottom lands, the answer is easy-by
letting them alone, and occasionally
sowing little seed in thinned on
places, or scattering Il little horst
manure over such spots. In such soils
it is natural for the grass to be retained,
and it may last for lifetime or
century. On uplands 1t is more diff
cult to keep land in grass without its
killing out in the winter. This in
clination is more common with some
kinds of grasses than with others.
Here is just where study should be
made, and nll the best means employed
to do the hest and to get the best re-
suits. / do not make it rule to seed
with oats, rs the risks are too great OF
the seed catching well, and the cost is
too much to admit of its waste. Large
sums of money are lost in this way by
the careless and unwise methods OF
seeding. Spring wheat is the best
spring crop to seed with, and barley
next. The farmer makes a mistake
when he sows the grain as thickly with
the seeding as he would without it. 1t
Is absurd to expect to get two good
crops Mt the same time on the same
ground. Clover and timothy will often
do well, especially if the season is
wet one, when put in with
spring crop of grain. The other
grasses, more delicate in their start,
will never do well with an oat crop,
and not rs well with any grain rs when
put in alone. In order to get sure
seeding, and not run the risks of loss
of labor and seed, all seeding should be
done with winter grain, and the seed
put on both ways rs early in the spring
rs it is possible to walk over the field.
have sown clover and timothy on the
top of big snow-banks, and it did finely.
The seed finds its way right down to
tho earth through the snow and ice,
and gets embedded in the soil ready to
start with the first growing weather,
and to get good root before any dry
weather comes. These grasses are not
suited for either permanent pasture
or meadow, and never should be put in
with any such expectation. Clover
may possibly linger in rich spots for
three years, but it generally follows its
nature (bienniaD, and dies out in two
years. Timothy, under favorable con-
ditions, when not pastured after mow-
ing or left to get good start in the
autumn, may last few years, but as
pasture grass it is very poor, and about
the last grass to be sown. Notwith-
standing the inelficiency of timothy as
grass for pasture, it is sown more
commonly than any other. This is be-
cause of its cheapness and the little
care most people think is necessary to
put it in. 1t does better for meadow
and fills place as grass for hay no
other can fill.
For lasting grass, and to endure
all the changes of weather and climate,
consider rcd-top the best, All kinds
of stock relish the hay, and also the
pasture from it 1t will outlive all
other grasses, and afford twice rs much
pasture rs timothy. Orchard grass l
like for pasture, on account of its
earliness and constant growth, On
good land it will furnish new bite in
three or four days after being eaten
of. 1t is not so good for hay, as tho
stems are not thick enough, and unless
cut Just right, it becomes woody. For
an aftermath no grass is equal to it,
1t must never be pastured later than
September, or mown later than this,
for it will wintcr-kill. This has been
my experience, but undoubtedly in a
warmer climate, where the ground
does not freeze so hard it might 90
through the winter with the crowns eX,
posed. Such is not the case in latitude
439. Our native blue grass (Poa
pTdtenSiS) is valuable for pasture, as il
is very early in starting, and grows al
through the season. 1t is, however, Sc
natural to the sol that it will make it:
appearance in abundance If not sown
Rep-top is also indigenous on some
farms. 1t may be new idea, but it i
practicable one, to fit land designel
for pasture OF meadow, iu the fall, ant
to sow the seed When this can bt
done in August. it is an excellent plan
and ii may be done after the crop o
spring grain has been taken OIL Thi
will ensure successful catch. Whei
not done by the first of September, i
can be done so late that the seed will
not germinate until spring, or the liant
may be fitted in the autumn, and tn
seed sown on top of the ground, so n
TO be ready TO start with the first warn
days. Such seedlings may be utilize,
the first season, and the crop be thicke
and far more productive, than unde
the haphazard system Of seeding wit
grain.-F D. Curtis, W Country Gen
liemarh